How To Make a Crazy Funny Comic Strip

A comic strip is a series of drawing telling a brief story, typically in a humorous way. If each strip delivers a complete joke, the comic is considered to be in the gag-a-day genre. The gag-a-day comic is usually told in three panels, but can be longer or shorter in length. I will share a few basic structures I’ve used for three, two and one-panel gag-a-day comic strips. I will use reference examples from my webcomic Mateys. Before I get too far along, I wanted to acknowledge an article written by Marin Berube that inspired this writing How-to-draw-funny-cartoons.com.

Regardless of the comic strip’s length, the first panel establishes the scene and sets the tone. Drawing a background is recommended to help the reader establish a location and understand the environment. The background does not need to be elaborate, just enough for the readers to have an idea of where the action is taking place. If it is an exterior scene, consider drawing grass, a tree, or a cloud in the sky. If it is an interior scene, consider drawing a wall, couch, or table. The first panel should include the main character. It typically will have a setup to a situation or issue that needs to be resolved.

Three Panel Comic Strip

The most common comic strip is three panels in length. It offers a large variety of ways for a creator to deliver a…